Mesa County Oral History Project

The Mesa County Oral History Project began as a joint project of the Museums of Western Colorado and Mesa County Libraries (MCL) in 1975. The Oral History Project collected tape-recorded interviews with pioneers of Mesa County and surrounding areas, and interviews with the children of pioneers. The Central Library housed the duplicate audio cassettes and provided patron access to the histories. The Museum stored the master tapes and kept files and transcripts related to the oral history collection. The Mesa County Historical Society also contributed significantly to the Oral History Project by collaborating with the library and museum to select interviewees, and by providing interviewers and other volunteers. Mesa County Libraries no longer partner with the Museum in housing duplicate copies of tapes. But the library now works with the Museum to digitize interviews from the Mesa County Oral History Project and to provide online access to the interviews through Pika, the library catalog. The Museum continues to house the original audio cassettes, interview transcripts, and other source material for the project. The Library and the Museums of Western Colorado still record oral histories with residents who have important knowledge of the area’s history. Please note that some interviews contain language that listeners or readers may consider offensive. Mesa County Libraries does not condone such language, but has included interviews in their entirety in the interest of preserving history.

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Interview with Reuben A. Pitts
Reuben A. Pitts talks about wars between cattle and sheep ranchers, about rural school life in Plateau Valley, Colorado, and about the Big Creek Reservoir flood. He also discusses his job as a typesetter for his father’s newspaper, The Plateau Valley Voice, in Collbran. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado and the Mesa County Historical Society.
Interview with Rex Howell
Rex Howell, founder of Grand Junction’s first radio and television stations, describes the history of broadcasting in Mesa County. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Reynold Robert "Bunk" Weimer
Bunk Weimer recalls settling on land at the current location of Colorado Mesa University as a child in 1903, where the boys slept in a cave and the rest of the family in tents before the land was leveled for farming. He talks about helping with the construction of the first Mesa County Fairgrounds (on the site of the present day Lincoln Park), including the Lincoln Park Barn. He discusses helping his father pour foundations for several prominent buildings around town, his time as Road Supervisor for Mesa County, and details about early Twentieth century life in Grand Junction, Colorado. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado and the Mesa County Historical Society.
Interview with Richard "Dick" Woodfin
Dick Woodfin talks about his early life growing up on farms in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. He speaks about his schooling in animal husbandry at Colorado State University and his brief career as a vocational agriculture teacher in Nebraska. He remembers his career as a county agricultural extension agent in Crowley County, Kit Carson County, and Mesa County, Colorado. He recalls the different government and agricultural organizations and programs that existed to help farmers before and after the Great Depression, and talks about how county extension services helped to organize farmers. He talks about when rural electrification came to Mesa County and the rest of Colorado. He discusses agricultural problems specific to Mesa County, including a high water table and the overuse of irrigation water that bring alkali to the topsoil, limiting the productivity of soil and crop yields. He recalls helping to introduce studies and solutions to plant diseases, alkali soil, and irrigation problems. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado. *Photograph from 1929 Colorado State University yearbook
Interview with Richard B. "Dick" Williams
Richard Williams talks about his family’s arrival in Grand Junction, Colorado in 1908. He speaks about his father’s purchase of the Independent Abstract Company and about his own involvement with several abstract and title companies in town. He discusses the formation of the Grand Junction Lions Club, the Grand Junction Lions Club Carnival, and the club’s fundraising for Grand Junction Junior College and other local causes. He speaks about his father’s involvement with the Grand Junction YMCA and his investment in COPECO. He talks about the history of early churches in town. He discusses men in the community who played on the local baseball team in the early Twentieth century, and describes sneaking out to watch the games as a young boy. He remembers having a milk cow in the backyard of their home at 12th Street and Gunnison Avenue and selling milk to neighbors. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Richard Michael "Mike" Taylor
Mike Taylor talks in brief about his childhood in Grand Junction, leaving high school early, and joining the Marines at the age of seventeen. He recalls his service as a rifleman in Vietnam with the Delta Company, First Battalion, Fourth Marine Regiment. He speaks about being wounded in combat, his long convalescence at Fitzsimons Hospital in Denver, and his marriage at the hospital. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado. *Photograph from 1966 Grand Junction High School yearbook
Interview with Robert "Bob" Collins
Bob Collins talks about his introduction to radio broadcasting in the armed forces during World War II, attending radio broadcasting school back home in Ohio, and coming to Grand Junction, Colorado to manage the new KEXO station in 1948. He talks about his life in broadcasting at KEXO, KREX and KSTAR. He speaks about his work with the Grand Junction Centennial committee to plan events around the celebration of the town’s centennial anniversary in 1981, including the centennial play at Lincoln Park. He describes broadcasting Western Slope rodeo and racing events, including the VFW Rodeo and the Land’s End Hill Climb. He talks about the planning and dedication of Intermountain Veterans’ Memorial Park and what was then known as Jack Waddrell Memorial Stadium at the Mesa County Fairgrounds in 1944. He describes the early days of the Grand Junction Lions Club and a practical joke that “Firecracker” Frank Garrison played on Dr. “E.H.” Munro during a club meeting. He tells stories about his friends Hank Post Jr., Paul Strout, and Rex Howell. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Robert Clement "Bob" Klenda
Bob Klenda, an accomplished saddle maker, talks in detail about the craft of saddlery and about the utility of different saddle types. He recounts how he got his beginning in the craft. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado. *Note: Transcripts have been machine-created and do contain inaccuracies. In time, each transcript will be audited by a human being to ensure accuracy.
Interview with Robert Drury "Bob" McCray
Bob McCray, who owned the Diamond Saddle Shop in Mesa County, Colorado, speaks about his introduction to the saddlemaking business, and his employment in the Visalia Saddle Company near Yosemite National Park. He talks about saddle styles, saddlemaking techniques, spurs, chaps, the history of saddlery, and the state of saddlemaking both locally and nationally. He remembers his first exposure to horses as a boy in Missouri, and a brief tenure as a disc jockey on a radio station in Sacramento. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado.
Interview with Robert Eugene Grant: Walter Walker Series
Robert Grant explains his experience working for Walter Walker, Preston Walker and The Daily Sentinel newspaper, before and after being drafted into the armed forces during World War ll. Robert also discusses the Typographical Union Strike and Walter Walker’s involvement within the community. This recording is made available via signed release by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado. *The above photo of Walter Walker is a public domain image from the U.S. Senate Historical Office. *The original recording suffered from poor audio quality and only a portion of the recording was salvageable, mixed down into a digital format, and made available here. The transcript of the entire interview, however, is available in this catalog entry.
Interview with Robert Evans
Robert Evans discusses his many years working for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad as a machinist, and recounts various railroad accidents. He also talks about his time playing baseball on various semipro teams, and on local teams in Grand Junction, Colorado. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries, the Museums of Western Colorado and the Mesa County Historical Society.
Interview with Robert Frederick "Bob" Mulford
Bob Mulford talks about his early life in California and in Palisade, Colorado, his schooling, and his family. He describes his father, a veteran with combat experience in the Phillipines during World War II. He recalls his basic training in the US Army and his training in jump school prior to arriving in Vietnam. He speaks about arriving in Long Binh and his first assignments in 1968, on latrine duty, and then on patrol in Bam Me Thuot. He details the weapons and equipment given to him by the Army in preparation for combat. He talks about going on search and destroy missions in the Can Tho province. He describes combat, engagement with the enemy, and casualties suffered by the US forces. He discusses his experience walking point and guiding his platoon. He speaks about the Motagnards, indigenous people that he encountered in Vietnam, and about eating dog stew served to him in gratitude by a Montagnard man. He talks about his difficulties in adjusting to life at home after his tour in the war. The interview was conducted by the Mesa County Oral History Project, a collaboration of Mesa County Libraries and the Museums of Western Colorado. *Photograph from 1967 Palisade High School yearbook.

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